GeForce 8800 GS vs Radeon HD 6530D

NVIDIA

GeForce 8800 GS

2008Core: 500 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6530D

2011Core: 750 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce 8800 GS vs Radeon HD 6530D Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 8800 GS vs Radeon HD 6530D FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 8800 GS vs Radeon HD 6530D: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 8800 GS

2008

Why buy it

  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (768 MB vs 512 MB).
  • Draws 150W instead of 186W, a 36W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6530D across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2008 hardware with 768 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 200% HIGHER MSRP
    $150 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.2 vs 6.7 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
  • 22800% longer card at 229mm vs 1mm.

Radeon HD 6530D

2011

Why buy it

  • 14.0% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $100 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Delivers 206.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.7 vs 2.2 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Measures 1mm instead of 229mm, a 228mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 768 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2011 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 24% higher power demand at 186W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 6530D is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 14.0% in average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.1% in PassMark G3D (337 vs 330), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 8800 GS is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 768 MB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 6530D makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 206.4% (6.7 vs 2.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6530D is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 8800 GS has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 8800 GS vs Radeon HD 6530D Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce 8800 GS

The GeForce 8800 GS is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 330 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 6530D

The Radeon HD 6530D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 1 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 186W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 337 points. Launch price was $180.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 8800 GS scores 330 and the Radeon HD 6530D reaches 337 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 8800 GS is built on G9x while the Radeon HD 6530D uses TeraScale 3, both on 65 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 8800 GS) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 6530D).

FeatureGeForce 8800 GSRadeon HD 6530D
G3D Mark Score
330
337+2%
Architecture
G9x
TeraScale 3
Process Node
65 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
224
1280+471%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 8800 GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6530D leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 8800 GSRadeon HD 6530D
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 8800 GS has 768 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6530D carries 512 MB. GeForce 8800 GS gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 8800 GS and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6530D.

FeatureGeForce 8800 GSRadeon HD 6530D
VRAM Capacity
0.75 GB+50%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.0 (GeForce 8800 GS) vs 11 (Radeon HD 6530D). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce 8800 GSRadeon HD 6530D
DirectX
10.0
11+10%
Max Displays
2
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 8800 GS) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 6530D). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs UVD 3.

FeatureGeForce 8800 GSRadeon HD 6530D
Encoder
No
UVD 3
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP2
UVD 3
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8800 GS draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 6530D's 186W — a 21.4% difference. The GeForce 8800 GS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8800 GS) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6530D). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 1mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce 8800 GSRadeon HD 6530D
TDP
150W-19%
186W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
1x 6-pin
Length
229mm
1mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
0-100%
Temp (Load)
85°C
Perf/Watt
2.2+22%
1.8
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 8800 GS came in at $150, while the Radeon HD 6530D launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6530D was 66.7% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.2 (GeForce 8800 GS) vs 6.7 (Radeon HD 6530D) — the Radeon HD 6530D offers 204.5% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 6530D (2011 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce 8800 GSRadeon HD 6530D
MSRP
$150
$50-67%
Performance per Dollar
2.2
6.7+205%
Codename
NB9E-GTX
Cayman
Release
July 15 2008
December 1 2011
Ranking
#825
#598

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